Univision now leads on Friday nights, according to the Nielsen Co. ratings service, which conducted its fall ratings survey from Oct. 28 to Nov. 22.

The Friday night block of Univision programs was No. 1 last month in all of television in two age categories, 18 to 49 and 18 to 34.

In general, Univision delivered double-digit percentage gains in viewers over the same period in 2009, while the English-language networks fell in numbers of viewers with double-digit percentage losses.

Business Channel

Here are some specifics:

In primetime, Univision viewers were up 16 percent among adults 18 to 49 and 13 percent for adults 18 to 34. Viewers 12 to 34 rose 11 percent. Among all viewers age 2 and up, the percent increase from 2009 was 11 percent.

Related Stories

Univision's main weapons were telenovelas, “Eva Luna” and “Soy tu Dueña,” running weekdays last month from 7 to 9 p.m.

The two Mexican soap operas both were made with high production values and are more than a little sexy. They are beating out many of the English-network shows in numbers of viewers during their primetime slots.

“Univision has been working hard to deliver something relevant to consumers, relevant to the viewers,” said Gisela Girard, president and chief operating officer of Creative Civilization, an advertising and public relations agency. “The leadership at Univision has made a commitment to programming, to enlarge and strengthen the quality of the programming. It's a much-improved program model.”

Indeed, it was in the 1980s that the Spanish International Network in San Antonio was sold to Hallmark Cards Inc. and later was renamed Univision and moved to Los Angeles.

The network has its roots when Raoul Cortez started KCOR-TV in San Antonio in 1955 as the first Spanish-language TV station.

Later renamed KUAL-TV and then KWEX-TV, the station ballooned under Emilio Nicolas. The Spanish International Network spread in the 1980s to Los Angeles and Miami.

“We're beginning to see the power of the Hispanic market,” Girard said. “The census figures coming out next year will validate this. Corporate America needs to heed these trends.

“Not only are Hispanics making television networks and stations No. 1 in the ratings, they are making the difference in who is No. 1 in everything from soft drinks, cell phones, diapers, groceries and just about every category that exists,” Girard continued.

“Where would H-E-B be today without Hispanic consumers?” she asked.

It's clear that any company that advertises but fails to take the Hispanic market seriously is missing a big target.